Step 12: Build the step up circuit

Step 13: Fit it all into the project box

Cut out the holes in the project box for the switches and USB port. The USB board is glued to the scrap of strip-board to keep it securely in place an...

This strange looking pan is a device to generate power from a low temperature heat source. By using the seebeck effect, it is able to produce enough electricity to charge a cell phone and other USB devices. The best part about this contraption is that it has no moving parts.

The device has a nimh power pack which stores electrical energy for use whenever you need it, the power pack can be detached for use anywhere. The output is 5V through a USB port. This device would work especially well were there is snow available for extra cooling – for example off grid cabins in remote (snowy) locations. It could serve as dual purpose - melting snow for water and producing electricity ? The bigger the temperature difference between the two sides of the peltier the greater the power output.

This idea is not new, it has been around for a long time. See here for some very
old thermoelectric generators

hai, i want to ask, i have try the project, but my thermogenerator have produce only 0.5v , could u give some advice how to make thermogenerator produce 3v and how about temperature and temperature ambiance?

hai, i want to ask, i have try the project, but my thermogenerator have produce only 0.5v , could u give some advice how to make thermogenerator produce 3v and how about temperature and temperature ambiance?

Apple like to annoy everyone by making things that only work with apple. There is a way to make it charge, by adding some resistors somewhere. Have a look on Google for apple usb charger schematic or something similar.

There is one severely flawed aspect to this design you have shown, you NEVER put your screw points at a diagonal to your tec components, so never at the corners, only along the sides or else the compression will interfere and break the modules in far shorter time span than they are spec'd for. Change that, and its perfect.

i got all my parts in today! i am confused as to where to soldier in the diode. could you show me a picture of the whole wiring layed out without the 3.5mm jack in there? i just need to see a picture . thanks alot! :)

I have a question, If you used a more powerful peltier element for the thermoelectric charger, would you get a larger power output? If it would, then would it be more efficient to use more small peltier elements, or to use one big peltier element?

Thanks a lot! Another question if I were camping could I leave this contraption running all night? Or untill the candles went out? Or is there a time limit to how long I can run it? I'm wondering for like leaving my phone plugged in and charging over night ( in a fire safe environment )

If you were worried about the candles being left overnight, you could try boiling up some water and replacing the candle with this heated water. Cooling 3 pints of water from 100 degrees to 15 degrees involves roughly the same amount of energy transfer as burning one of those candles would, so if you had a big enough campfire to boil a large amount of water during the day it could be something to consider.

It needs a temp difference of around 80 - 120 centigrade to charge. The water doesn't have to stay cool. It seems to hold steady at around 40c after a few hours running so not really cool. But the cooler you can keep the top the better. A little tower with cloths resting part way in the water would probably help cool it by evaporation.

I think it would work quite well on top of a woodstove, though it might possibly be too hot.

they make fans for woodstoves with a copper base and heat transfer bar, then the fan motor and cool side radiating fins up top, used to spread the heat of a woodstove around a cabin or other similar thing. Ecofan is oen of them.....expensive of course, as is the biolite thing.

Stirling build designs are all over the internet. I have made some using plans like this. They ran off of a stove quite well, but when I place one on the grill the solder joints melted! Lots of fun to build, and if you find a use for one, even better!

I was building the same and did connect it with the http://www.bootstrapsolar.com kit ,.. but can you explain me why you need this hughe heat sink ? Is there an tecnical reason for that ,.. Would be nice because ill then build it fitting for canteenkit thx thomas

This was so great, scraptopower! I loved it, faved it, and voted for it :) And am going to give it a shot soon. I have a thought, about developing it further so as to possibly use a composting box as a power source, with all the heat developed by biological activity? Say, in a greenhouse? 'Twould be a good use, what say you to the idea and its feasibility? Regards, Aiden :)

Vincent 7520: there is a stove online called the BIOLITE Stove. Has a USB charger built on the side of a backpacking stove, weights around 25g boils ware in less than 15 minutes. Quite the little deal.caa

Cool Instructable! Actually the mars rover Curiosity uses a similar device to power itself. The only difference is Curiosity uses heat from uranium as a heat source, but it still goes through a thermoelectric module to generate power.